


Begin Again

by WorryinglyInnocent



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendships and Fandoms, Future Fic, Rumbelle - Freeform, Rumbelle Revolution, Star Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 15:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8673382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorryinglyInnocent/pseuds/WorryinglyInnocent
Summary: When a Star Force follow-up film is greenlit seven years after the series finale, Belle persuades Rum to take part, and the cast is reunited once more. A Friendships and Fandoms future fic.
Written for Rumbelle Revolution: 27/11/2016





	

 

**Begin Again**

Belle knew better than to listen in on anyone’s private conversations, least of all her husband’s, but she was beginning to wonder if something out of a horror movie had happened and he was being held hostage via the phone. He’d left the living room to take a call almost two hours ago, and she was starting to worry that she might never see him again. The old movie they’d been watching on the TV had long since finished, and Belle had an early start the next morning and would have to go to bed soon.

She switched off the television and crept out of the room, tiptoeing gently down the hallway to her study. They shared the room, but Belle used it for her designing work when she wasn’t on set so it had basically become hers. She pressed an ear to the wood, but she couldn’t hear any sounds. Brow furrowing, she tapped on the door.

“Come in.”

Poking her head around, she found that Rum was neither being held hostage nor, in fact, on the phone at all. He was sitting in the spinning chair, rolling it slowly from side to side, his elbows planted firmly on the cushioned arms and his chin resting on his fists, which were curled around his phone.

“Are you all right?” Belle asked, inserting herself into the room fully and coming over to him, perching on the desk next to her paints.

Rum nodded, but he was frowning, and Belle raised an eyebrow. He certainly didn’t seem to be all right.

“Are you sure?” she pressed. Rum nodded, so she decided not to push the point. “Who was on the phone?”

“It was Jafar,” Rum said.

“Oh yes?” It wasn’t unusual for Jafar to call at strange times of the day, but since they were in the same time zone for once, Belle wondered why he had rung so late.

“He’d just received a proposition from Storybrooke Studios; from Leo and Aurelius.”

Belle nodded, and she wondered if the rumours that had been whispering along the grapevines of the hair and make-up world were about to be proved true.

“And what would this proposition be?” she hedged.

“It’s a proposition in two parts,” Rum said, and Belle suppressed a sigh. She really needed to get to bed and she really didn’t want to have to play twenty questions with her husband, but at the same time she was very intrigued as to what had caused him to be so pensive.

“Go on,” she prompted. “I’m listening.”

“Well, the first part is that _Star Force_ is being released on a special edition DVD and they want to get all the cast back to do audio commentaries on all the episodes. Naturally, as a main cast member, I have been invited to take part.”

“That’s great!” Belle exclaimed. Although she was nowhere near as involved with social media as she had been when she had been working on _Star Force_ and it had been airing, she knew that the die-hard fans had been waiting for the special edition box set for years, ever since the series finale. “So what’s the other part of the proposition?” she asked. “Because I know you, my love, and I can tell that the commentaries are not the part that has made you so worried.”

“Who said I was worried?” Rum asked quickly. Too quickly. Belle just raised an eyebrow at him and his shoulders sagged, sliding his phone onto the desk beside him and resting his hands on the arms of the chair, a stance that invited Belle into his lap. She settled herself there now, stroking his hair back from his face where a few strands had fallen into his eyes; he had evidently been running his hands through it in frustration.

“The reason that the special edition DVD set is finally being produced is that the studio has at last greenlit a follow-up movie. Its working title is _Star Force: The Journey On_. It’s set in the future; focuses on the next generation of cadets as they join the Star Force programme and begin their adventures.”

“Go on,” Belle cajoled, knowing that there was more to be said.

“The studio are hoping to get some of the TV series cast back for the movie. More specifically, they would like Emma, Henry, David, Mary Margaret, Fae, Graham, Elsa, and… me.”

“Oh Rum, that’s great!” Belle exclaimed, slipping her arms around his neck and kissing him firmly on the mouth. He accepted her eagerly, hands splaying over her back, but when they eventually broke away, his previous melancholy aspect returned.

“Is it?” he asked.

Belle shrugged. “Why wouldn’t it be? Do you know if anyone else has agreed yet?”

Rum shook his head. “Emma, Graham, Henry and David have all signed on,” he said. “Jafar didn’t know about the others. The studio is still waiting for answers from them, but I can’t imagine that Elsa will say no.” He stared off over her shoulder into the middle distance, and Belle gently turned his head back to face her with two fingers under his chin, her touch friendly but firm, the way that it had always been when she had been doing his make-up back in the day.

“You don’t want to do it,” she said. “Why not, sweetheart?”

“I…” Rum shook his head self-deprecatingly. “I’m too old, my love,” he said eventually. “I was already the oldest person on that set apart from Spencer, God rest his soul.” Albert Spencer, the man behind the formidable Force General George King, had succumbed to cancer the previous year. “And I haven’t got any younger since then.” He looked weary as he looked up at Belle. “I’m sixty next birthday, Belle. I’m too old to go through that make-up job again.”

Belle gave a little smile. “What if there were someone there to make that make-up job bearable?” she whispered in his ear.

“Belle…”

“Well, they’re going to need me to make sure that they get it all right, aren’t they?” Belle said, her voice matter-of-fact.

“Belle I can’t ask you to give up what you have here and go to Storybrooke to beg Leo and Aurelius for your old job back just because your husband has low self-esteem.”

Belle rolled her eyes.

“Rum, I will hardly be begging for my old job back,” she said. “I’ll simply be offering my services. Besides, you can always tell Jafar that you and I come as a package deal and you won’t do it till you’re assured that I’m there to do your make-up. Hell, I don’t even need the design job, I’ll just be your personal make-up artist.” She paused, musing. “I think that would be a good idea, actually. Leaves the rest of the make-up team available to do everyone else and not have to worry about Stiltskin.”

Rum raised a tired eyebrow. “You know, sometimes I wonder where you get your ideas from,” he muttered, then he shook his head. “I’m too old, Belle. I don’t want to have to deal with the long days on set any more.”

“Bullshit,” Belle said firmly. “When you’re directing you stay up all hours making sure that you’ve got everything perfect.”

“That’s different.”

Belle rolled her eyes again, deciding that it would be best not to get into that particular argument with her husband. She leaned in, gently cupping his face and running her thumb over his lips. “Will you at least think about it?” she asked. “Read the script, if Jafar’s given it to you.”

Rum nodded mutely.

“Well then, the least that you can do is read it and tell him if you like it.” She paused. “Do you know who’ll be directing?” she asked.

“I’m pretty sure it’ll be Regina, Aurora, or Mal,” Rum replied. “Depends which of them is free. _After Ever After_ ’s just started filming its final season so Regina and Aurora will be around.”

“Would you do it if Mal was directing?” Belle asked.

Rum was silent for a long time. Mal was one of his oldest friends and he had worked with her many times; she was his favourite director to work with and he was one of her favourite actors to direct. Some people had joked that he was Helena Bonham-Carter to Mal’s Tim Burton.

“I don’t know,” he said eventually.

“Well, wouldn’t it be nice to see Emma and everyone again?” Belle tried.

“I’ll see them when I go back to do the commentaries,” Rum pointed out. “And that will be everyone, not just the people who are involved with the new film. Well, everyone except Zelena, of course.”

Zelena had served her time and was out on parole, but there was a restraining order on her to keep her away from both Rum and Robin Locksley. Idly Belle wondered how much her career would suffer as a result. Mulan had already mooted the possibility of the only work she could get being in a _Star Force_ porn parody, to which some other unscrupulous Tumblr users had replied that faking orgasms did require at least a little ability to actually act.

“I can’t help feeling that you’re not exactly saddened by that,” Belle pointed out.

“Not in the slightest, to be honest.”

Belle gave a snort of laughter, then a sad smile. “Are you sure that there’s nothing I can do to convince you?” she asked. “Apart from shag you so senseless I scramble your brains and you agree to everything I say?”

Rum tipped his head on one side. “Well, that’s a very tempting thought, but I think my mind’s made up on this one.”

Belle sighed. “Please just read the script, Rum. You owe Jafar that much at least.” She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’m going to bed, I need to be up early in the morning.”

Rum gave a weak smile and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Good night, love. I promise I’ll read the script.”

Belle got off his lap and made her way out of the room and up the stairs. It would be good to go back to Storybrooke and the home they had made there. For the past year they had been in the UK whilst Gold was working on a TV series, but his role in that had just come to a close and he was between jobs at the moment; Belle was working on another sci-fi series to fill time until another large project came along. Maybe this was that project. She had loved working on _Star Force_ and she had never made any secret of that to the showrunners. Surely if they were making a follow-up movie then they would want as much of the original crew back as possible to ensure authenticity and continuity.

When she got upstairs, she found her phone on the nightstand showing a new message.

_Evening Belle. Please call me tomorrow morning when you get a moment. I have a favour to ask. Jafar._

Belle pondered, wondering what on earth Jafar could need from her. Unless it was trying to get her to persuade Rum to do the _Star Force_ follow-up by any means necessary, which she was already doing. They couldn’t recast Stiltskin at this late stage, not when Rum’s performance had been so loved by the fans – so loved that he had been saved from death in the first season and had gone on to become a series regular and the most iconic _Star Force_ character. And it would be terrible if the writers had to work on a rewrite on a tight schedule in order to write out Stiltskin. A small, selfish part of her thought that there was a high possibility that the film wouldn’t be anywhere near as good if Stiltskin were not in it, but she shook away her biased view, changing for bed and slipping between the sheets, turning her phone over and closing her eyes for sleep. She would have to check out what buzz – if any – was flying around about the DVD and the follow-up film. Officially, no-one was supposed to know about it yet, but if there was one thing that Belle had learned from years of both Tumblr and working in the entertainment industry, it was that if something was not meant to be widely known, someone somewhere would be disseminating it on the Internet in a matter of minutes.

She would return to trying to persuade Rum to resume the role that made him known to the general American public in the morning, and sleep came to her easily.

X

Still sitting in the study, Gold flicked on his tablet and opened up the document containing the script for the _Star Force_ follow-up film. It couldn’t hurt to take a look and see what he was missing. His mind was already made up; he wasn’t going to do this.

But then again… Gold sighed and put down the tablet, already second guessing himself without having got past the title page. He was a professional, and he really didn’t want to let the others down, especially not Emma, who had been one of his closest friends on the set among his fellow actors. All the same, his words to Belle did still ring true. He was getting on in years; he really couldn’t be expected to still play the same erratic Stiltskin as he had done before. Almost unconsciously he rubbed his right leg, feeling the ache in his bad ankle. He was going to need the joint replaced soon, the doctors had told him that, and he was feeling old enough already. It was seven years since _Star Force_ had wrapped.

Seven years. Seven years since _Star Force_ had wrapped. Seven years since he and Belle had begun their relationship. Six and a half since he’d proposed. Five and a half since they’d married. Five and a half years and he still couldn’t believe that this wonderful, perfect woman whom he’d met in that make-up room eleven years ago had agreed to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him.

Belle thought that he could do it. That he should do it, in fact. Belle had always had so much faith in him. More faith than he’d ever had in himself, that was for sure. So far she’d never let him down, and he liked to think that he had never let her down either. Still, he had to be reasonable, and look at things logically. He was moving more and more into directing these days, staying on the other side of the camera. His acting work was steady, parts here and there, but _Star Force_ was still the thing that he was most known for. Perhaps it would seem ungrateful for him to turn his back on a show that had given him so much. Belle’s logical voice in the back of his mind was telling him that if they still wanted him to come back and reprise his role, then they obviously didn’t think that he was too old for it.

He sighed, deciding just to read the script and see what was going on with it before possibly talking himself around to the idea of changing his mind. He flicked at the tablet to get to the first page of the screenplay, and he settled himself comfortably in the desk chair, rearranging the cushions and making to read the first few scenes before going up and joining Belle in bed. He smiled; it was one of Leo and Aurelius’s finer scripts, the action focussing on Commander Leyah – now Force Colonel Leyah – and her son Henry, who had followed in his mother’s footsteps and graduated from the Force academy, ready to take on his first assignment, one that had gone slightly pear-shaped and forced them to call on the assistance of the _Aurora Borealis’_ s old crew to help them out of a tight spot and prevent intergalactic war. Stiltskin’s role was entirely ground-based, something that Gold was somewhat pleased to see. He shook himself crossly; he wasn’t going to come back. All the same… He would miss this dialogue; Stiltskin’s acerbic humour was still firmly in place and there were some true gems amongst his lines, as he went behind the Force General’s back to co-ordinate events at the base whilst Leyah and some of the other crew went to help her son.

By the time he reached the end of the screenplay, Gold was smiling to himself. It did look like a wonderful project, and a truly great way to round off _Star Force_ all together, passing it over to a new generation if they ever did decide to reboot it. Henry would be wonderful in his part; the boy of ten that he’d first met on the set when _Star Force_ had begun was now becoming a successful actor in his own right, making a name for himself without any help from his mother’s credentials. It was hard to believe that Henry was twenty-one now, and the thought only served to make Gold even more conscious of his own advancing age. He looked down at the tablet and sighed, putting it onto the side and steepling his fingers, wondering what to do. He had enjoyed _Star Force_ and had made good friends in Emma and David, friends that he had actually kept in touch with. He wondered why they were keeping mum about the film project. Who knew, perhaps Jafar would rope them in to help persuade him during the coming days.

He had a lot to think about. Maybe his mind wasn’t quite as made up as it had been when he had first looked at that script.

X

Belle’s alarm went off at five o’clock and she groaned as she reached across to switch it off, rolling over to find the other side of the bed not only empty but very obviously not slept in at all, and she furrowed her brow, wondering what Rum could have been doing all night. She dragged herself out of bed and threw on her robe, padding down the stairs to fix her first cup of coffee of the morning. The light was still on in the study, and she poked her head around, expecting to find that her husband had dropped off with his head on the desk.

Rum was in there, but he was still awake, dancing his fingers across the desk and looking for all the world to be completely lost in thought.

“Have you been up all night?” Belle asked. He jumped on hearing her voice, startling out of the chair and running his hands through his hair guiltily.

“Yes,” he admitted. “I’ve just been thinking about everything. I was reading the screenplay and time got away from me rather.”

Belle raised an eyebrow. “That’s usually a sign of a good script, then.” She moved away from the doorway. “We can continue this conversation but I am kind of on a tight schedule here at the moment.” She heard Rum grab his cane and leave the room after her, leaning against the kitchen counter as she made coffee.

“It is a good script,” Rum said. “Leo and Aurelius at their very best, and if they can get Mal to direct it then it should be absolutely stunning.”

Belle sat down at the breakfast bar beside him, blowing on her coffee to try and cool it.

“You’re still hesitant though,” she said. “I can tell. What’s stopping you?”

“I just don’t know… It’s been so long since we were all together on that set… Everything will be different now.”

Belle shrugged. “Only if you make it. I bet that if you get back there and see all the old sets and the old crowd, it’ll be as if you’re right back there on the TV show. Everyone’s just got a few more laughter lines, that’s all. A few more roles under their belts. David appears to have shed his fear at getting naked on screen. You can still joke about all the old times.”

She paused, thinking about the message that Jafar had left for her and wondering what he could have to say, and she decided against mentioning the cryptic text to her husband. There was still a frown line between his brows, and she could tell that although his conviction was wavering, he was not entirely sold on the idea of the film just yet.

“Something else is up,” she said. “It’s not just the time that’s passed or your completely irrelevant age. Something else is bothering you.”

Rum gave a small nod. “I still need time to think about it.”

Belle reached over and patted Rum’s arm. “I think you need to sleep on it,” she said sagely. “No good decisions were ever made without having first had a good night’s sleep. Perhaps you’ll see things differently in the morning.” She glanced at the clock. “Well, later in the morning.”

Belle went up on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Rum’s lips before going back upstairs to finish getting ready for her day in the make-up room. Rum followed her up at a leisurely pace, throwing himself onto the bed with a groan and staring up at the ceiling as she pottered about in the room getting dressed.

“I’m just so conflicted about the whole thing,” he said.

“Well, I’m sure that Jafar’s not expecting an answer in the next five minutes,” Belle pointed out. “Have a nap and have a good long think about it. I mean, it’s not as if you’re doing anything else. We were already thinking about going back to Storybrooke for a while anyway, weren’t we, once this run I’m on finishes. It’s not as if we’d be drastically altering our plans. Maybe this is just that extra bit of reassurance that we need to tell us that going back home is the best course of action.”

Despite all the travelling around that they did for their work, they had both come to call Storybrooke their home over the past few years; they owned property there and even though they could spend months at a time not living there, it still always felt like coming home whenever they returned to that small town. The place had not really changed at all and Belle knew that as soon as they got back, they would be going out to Granny’s and having burgers, iced tea and East Coast sundaes just as they had done when they had first started dating.

Gold nodded. “Yes, we’re definitely going to go back home. And I’m definitely going to do the commentaries for the box set that they want. It’s just resuming the role, becoming Stiltskin again…”

“Sleep on it,” Belle pressed. “If you still have doubts when your head is clearer, then maybe I can help you work through them.”

Her husband nodded sleepily and kicked off his slippers, rolling up in the covers fully clothed. Belle chuckled, kissing his forehead before leaving the house to begin her working day. For the first few hours she was absorbed completely in her work and did not have time to think about Rum’s dilemma, but once she had a moment to herself, she grabbed her phone and stared at Jafar’s message for a long time. She was about to dial his number but then decided against it and went to Tumblr instead, taking a look at what the tags were saying. As suspected, rumours about the DVD and the follow-up film were already rife, and she took a moment to absorb what everyone was saying.

_Will this mean we get to see Lacey and Stiltskin’s kid? How cute would that little mini-Rumplurian be?!_

_I hope they bring all the main cast back, even if they only have cameos. It would really link the film and the series together, you know. It would be a shame if they had to recast any of them._

Belle smiled. Her social media consumption had dwindled a lot in recent years, but she thought that perhaps it was time to use Tumblr as a tool in her mission to persuade Rum as she had done so often in the past. Everyone seemed incredibly enthusiastic about the prospect, and there was not a single post decrying the original cast as being too old to resume their roles.

Smiling, she dialled Jafar’s number and listened to the phone ring.

_“Jafar Agrabah.”_

“Hi Jafar, it’s Belle. Belle Gold. I got your message last night. What was it that you needed?”

_“Hi Belle, how are you? It’s been a while.”_

“Indeed it has.” Belle had not met Jafar many times, but she knew him well enough to know that whilst he was as sly as the next acting agent, he was someone with whom Rum felt a certain kinship and trusted. “I’m doing well, thanks. Rum’s not so much. He’s agonising over this _Star Force_ film, you know.”

_“Let me guess, he keeps saying he’s too old.”_ Jafar’s voice was amused. _“I’ve tried my best, but I don’t think he believes me. Maybe it would be better coming from you.”_

“Believe me Jafar, I have tried. Was that the favour you wanted to ask of me because I’m really already doing all that I can.”

_“Well, I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t one of the things I was hoping you could do for me.”_

Belle raised an eyebrow in the make-up room mirror. “One of the things? You’re racking up quite the debt here, Jafar. What else can I do for you?”

_“Well, it’s related to the first thing,”_ Jafar said. _“Has Rum showed you the script?”_

“No, but he’s read it himself and I know that he loves it.”

_“Well, take a look at it if you can. I think there’s something that you can do to help Rum make up his mind, because I think I know one of the reasons why he’s so hesitant. Unrelated to worrying about turning the big 6-0 next year.”_

“Oh yes?” Belle’s heart was beating painfully in her chest, because she thought that she knew what Jafar was driving at in his usual roundabout way.

_“Well, she doesn’t have a lot of scenes and she doesn’t have a lot of lines, but Lacey has a role in this screenplay.”_

Belle blinked. Lacey, her forty-five seconds of fame, a role she’d stepped into at the last minute without any anticipation of ever stepping into again.

_“Belle?”_ Jafar pressed. _“Belle, are you there?”_

“Yes, yes, I’m here.” She paused. “You want me to play Lacey again?”

_“I think that might make Rum reconsider a refusal, if he knew that he didn’t have to get to grips with someone else in a role that has been so important to his character. You’re free to refuse of course, I know that this is not your normal line of work, but I know that Leo and Aurelius would be more than happy to have you back on that side of the camera.”_

“Right.” Belle paused. “I’m going to be honest with you Jafar, that proposition has knocked me sideways a bit.”

_“It’s up to you.”_

“Yeah…” Belle let out a long breath. Her time in front of the camera had been exciting if nerve-wracking, but she had always said that it was a one-time thing and she would not be doing it again. She’d stuck to that promise for seven years. But this was Lacey. There was so much of herself in that role that she couldn’t imagine anyone else playing it, and she certainly couldn’t imagine Rum being happy with anyone else acting opposite him as Lacey. Perhaps Jafar was right and that was one of the reasons why he was still unsure having already read – and enjoyed – the script, and she wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it. She felt protective of the role, and a small part of her preened at being invited back to it, however scary the notion of being on film again was. As ridiculous as the notion was, she felt a certain sense of pride, knowing that the fanbase had been pleased with her portrayal and she giggled at the idea of a fandom backlash at Lacey being recast. “Yes,” she said eventually. “Yeah, I think I could come around to that idea. I mean, we’re going back to Storybrooke in about a month anyway, so there’ll be plenty of time for changing minds again and again.”

_“Just as long as you don’t change your mind too much,”_ Jafar said pointedly. _“They might not have a handy make-up designer to grab for the role at the last minute this time, you know.”_

“That was another thing, actually, Jafar. I was wondering about speaking to the producers about the make-up job. I had such a good time doing the series and I was hoping that they’d want to get as much of the original crew back as possible.”

_“I’m sure they wouldn’t say no, especially as you’re going to be in the area anyway,”_ Jafar said. _“I’m glad that you’re considering my proposal.”_

“Yes, if I’m not careful I’m going to have to start calling you my agent as well as Rum’s,” Belle said dryly. “It’s only because it’s Lacey.”

_“I know. I wouldn’t be asking you if it were anything else.”_

“I know. Well, I’ll take a look at the screenplay tonight and see what Rum has to say. I’m just really looking forward to being back in Storybrooke if I’m honest, whether or not Rum and I end up being involved in this film.”

_“I get the feeling that if you get involved, Rum will also want to get involved. He wouldn’t want you to have all the fun without him.”_

“You know that man far too well,” Belle muttered. “I’m sure I’ll speak to you soon,” she added. “I have to go now, but I’ll keep what you’ve said in mind.”

_“Thanks, Belle. I knew that I could count on you.”_

They hung up and Belle looked down at her phone with a smile. She had certainly never expected another foray in front of the camera, but stranger things had happened in the world.

Just then her phone rang again; for a moment she thought that it was Jafar calling back to ask another favour, but the caller ID showed that it was Rum.

“Hello darling,” she said. “Have you slept?”

_“Yeah, just woken up.”_ There was a pause. _“I’ve been thinking… Can you take a look at this script, please? Maybe then you’ll be able to help me make a more informed decision.”_

Belle gave a soft huff of laughter. “Oh Rum. Jafar’s already asked me to take a look at it. He’s really quite desperate for you to take this role if he’s coming to me for assistance in making you do it.”

_“I might have to have words with my agent,”_ Rum muttered. _“Well, it’s waiting for you here whenever you have time.”_

“I’ll take a read of it tonight,” Belle promised. It was a Saturday the next day and there would be no filming, so she could stay up all night reading like Rum had done if necessary. She smiled as they began exchanging small talk, putting the screenplay out of the conversation until later. She was beginning to have a very good feeling about this film, and she was hoping that she could make sure that Rum felt the same way.

X

“You know, a part of me still can’t quite believe that I’m doing this,” Rum said. “A part of me can’t quite believe that you’re doing this.” He smiled. “I think it’s a great marker of how much your confidence has grown,” he added. “When we first approached you about playing Lacey, you were so nervous about stepping into Claire’s shoes.”

“I know.” Belle curled her feet up under her on the sofa and leaned in to Rum’s side. “But this time I know what to expect. And you know, we can’t let the fans down, after all. It would be such a shame for them if they were to come into this film expecting a great cast reunion only to find that two of the characters have been recast.”

They had been back in Storybrooke for about three weeks, with Belle doing some design work whilst Rum prepared to return to Stiltskin’s role. Officially, Belle was freelancing for this project and the role of make-up designer would go to Ariel, who had been slowly working her way up through the ranks ever since Belle had left Storybrooke Studios on a permanent basis. Ruby, next in line for her job, had finally made the move to LA with Archie, although with frequent trips back to the east coast to see Granny and the other friends that she had left behind in Storybrooke. Belle was going to be involved in the make-up in an advisory capacity and, as expected, to act as Rum’s personal make-up artist. Since this was a feature film and the final outing for the _Star Force_ characters, the budget was somewhat increased and they could afford the extra make-up staff, especially since they wanted everything to be perfect for this grand finale.

Belle glanced up at Rum and nudged his shoulder with hers.

“You’ve got that frown line, my love,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

Rum shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose it’s just that tomorrow it all begins again.”

The next day was the first table read of the screenplay before filming began the next week, and the first time that Rum would be reunited with the rest of the cast. Belle would be there too in her capacity as Lacey, and she was very excited. She had never been to a table read before, although she would have given good money to be able to sit in on some of the ones they’d had whilst the series had been filming.

“I don’t think you’ve got anything to be nervous about,” Belle said, trying to reassure him. “Besides, it’s far too late to back out now.”

“I know, I know. I just… It’s been so long.”

Belle shifted around on the sofa so that she could face him properly. “What exactly is it that you’re worried about?” she asked.

“It’s been so long, Belle.”

“That’s not a worry, that’s a statement,” she pointed out. “Yes, it’s been seven years since _Star Force_ finished. So what? Why is that making you nervous? Are you worried that everyone will have changed so much in those seven years? It’s not as if you’ve completely lost touch with these people, you know what they’ve been doing since you were last filming with them.”

“I don’t know.” Rum sighed again.

“I just want to help, sweetheart,” Belle said gently. “If I knew what was eating you then maybe I could assuage your fear.”

Rum did not reply; he simply gave her a weak smile and Belle gave him a look.

“If you’re feeling old, Rum, I’ve got news for you. Amazing as it might sound, everyone in that room tomorrow is going to be seven years older than when you were last filming with them. I know, it’s a lot to take in, but surprise! Everyone ages at the same rate! And no matter what age you are, you are my very sexy husband and I’m beginning to think that desperate measures might be required to persuade you of your sexiness.”

She went up on her knees and began unbuttoning her shirt, but then Rum’s hands stilled hers.

“I’m not feeling old,” he said. Belle raised an eyebrow and he sagged a little. “Well, I am feeling a bit old, but that’s not the reason I’m scared. I suppose I’m worried that I won’t get back into Stiltskin’s shell the same way that I did. I don’t want to let everyone down, Belle. I don’t want people to go into that cinema with such fond memories of the TV show and then come out with those memories tarnished by a bad performance on my part. I don’t want to ruin _Star Force_ for everyone.”

Belle just looked at her husband for a moment.

“You are not going to let anyone down,” she said firmly. “You’ll be letting more people down if you don’t do this. I know you haven’t stepped into Stiltskin’s shoes for a while, but don’t think that I haven’t seen you practising your little flourishes and your accent in the bathroom mirror when you think I’m not watching. The entire reason we came out here so early was so that you could have time to get comfortable with the prospect again. Too late for cold feet now, Disco Lizard.”

Rum laughed at the nickname and pulled her down into his lap to slant his mouth over hers, hands splaying over her back to pull her in close.

“I suppose I shall just have to believe you,” he said.

“Of course you have to believe me, I’m your wife and you should always believe me.” Belle gave him a mischievous grin. “I’ve got some news that will cheer you up though.”

Rum raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I had a meeting with Leo and Aurelius today, looking at some of my designs, and Eudora was also there.” Eudora had designed the costumes for both _Star Force_ and _After Ever After_ , and had worked with Leo and Aurelius for many years. “I’ve seen your costume. It’s going to be wonderful.”

Rum smiled. “Well, I look forward to seeing it. She gave me a cryptic clue as to what it would look like when I went to get measured, so I’m wondering what the fittings will bring.”

“Suffice it to say, you will be a very dashing Rumplurian.” Belle kissed the tip of his nose. “Now come on, I think it’s time for bed. We both have a big day tomorrow, and I can’t wait to meet everyone again, and see how much Henry has grown.”

“The poor boy’s going to be sick of people telling him how much he’s grown,” Rum said, accepting Belle’s hand to pull him off the sofa. “Well, I say boy. He’s a man now. God, I feel old.”

“No, don’t start that again!” Belle said. “If I hear any more talk of you being old tomorrow I might do something irretrievable.”

Rum smirked. “Like what?”

“Well, since my body seems to be a good distraction for you, how about me flashing the entire table read?” She undid the final button on her shirt and let it fall open, pulling her bra cups down to expose her breasts. “It would certainly be an eye-opener.”

“I promise not to feel old tomorrow,” Rum said hastily, closing the two halves of her shirt and using the lapels to pull her in for another kiss.

“Good.”

X

“Rum! It’s so good to see you! How have you been? This is so great!”

Gold found himself bowled over by a small Canadian cannonball as Elsa Snow threw herself at him.

“It’s very good to see you too, Elsa. Congratulations on your Emmy nomination last year, you’re doing an incredible job in _Vengeance_. I’m surprised they let you out to film this, to be honest.”

“Oh, I pulled a few strings. Don’t tell anyone but my character’s going to be taking an extended vacation from the police for a couple of months. There are a few interesting storylines coming up.”

Since leaving _Star Force_ , Elsa had gone on to land a leading role in a police procedural that had gained something of an overnight cult following. Before they could talk any more, however, another voice joined them.

“Hey, where’s my hug?”

“Emma!”

Elsa ran over to Emma, who was holding a script in one hand and had a five year old child clinging to the other. Whilst the addition to Emma and Graham’s family had not been entirely planned, Aoife had definitely been welcomed into the extended _Star Force_ family and within three weeks of her birth had been gifted an entire set of _Star Force_ plushes made by the various cast members who knitted.

(Gold’s donation to the knitted gift task force had been made entirely anonymously, but Emma had still thanked him anyway, saying that she’d seen him knitting in his trailer often enough whilst they’d been filming to know that the miniature Stiltskin had come from him.)

Aoife was every inch her mother’s daughter, confident if somewhat wide-eyed, and she grinned when she saw Gold, waving at him. She was getting started on following in her parents’ footsteps early, and would have a small role in the film as Stiltskin and Lacey’s child. She was chattering on happily about how excited she was to get sparkly face-paint, and Gold smiled fondly. He would have admitted to being slightly wrong-footed when he’d read the script and found that Lacey and Stiltskin had a daughter, because the fanfiction community at large – Belle included – had been convinced throughout the series’ run that any child of theirs would be a boy, and he’d just accepted that as canon.

Speaking of boys, though…

Henry was hanging back a little. For all he had grown into a confident young man with a successful acting career, he seemed to be very aware that most of the people in the room had known him since he was ten. Gold glanced over at Belle, who was deep in discussion with David and Mary Margaret, and then went over to Henry.

“So, this is it,” he said. “Ready to take the lead and let us old folks take a back seat?”

Henry grinned. “Yeah, I think so.” He paused. “I know this sounds weird to ask because obviously you’ve got so much more experience than me, but are you… scared?”

Gold chuckled. “If you knew what I was offered as a bribe to get me to come here today, you wouldn’t believe it,” he said. “I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am utterly terrified, so you’re not alone. We can be scared together.”

“I just don’t know if I can do it again,” Henry said. “I mean, I know I can, I wouldn’t have signed up for it if I couldn’t, but I’m a very different person to the one I was seven years ago and I have to carry this entire film.”

Gold patted his shoulder. “I feel the same way. But as a very wise woman told me; it’s too late to back out now. And don’t worry about taking the lead, we’re all here to support you. Just ask your mum for tips.”

“Oh, I have been. I think she’s hoping that now we’re actually here and about to start filming I’ll shut up about it a bit.”

Gold laughed. “You’re going to be fine.”

Other people started to arrive, including Leo and Aurelius, and soon Gold found himself being introduced to a host of young actors who were joining the cast for the first time. They were all incredibly excited to be there, and Gold felt a small swell of pride when they complimented his performance as Stiltskin and expressed gratitude at his return to the role.

“I think it’s so great that everyone’s come back,” an elfin girl named Violet, who would play Henry’s character’s love interest, was saying to him. “It truly feels like a _Star Force_ film now, rather than just trying to use the _Star Force_ name to cash in whilst really being something totally different.”

“Yes, I…” Gold stopped in his tracks as he saw the latest person to enter the large conference room where the table read was being held. “Mal? What the hell are you doing here?”

“It’s very nice to see you too, Rum,” Mal said dryly, dumping her bags in the corner and coming over to give her old friend a hug. It looked like she’d come straight from the airport.

“It _is_ nice to see you, but I thought that you were in Los Angeles bidding to direct that new Hercules epic?”

Mal shrugged. “Aurora’s had to drop out; family emergency. Naturally, as soon as she told me, I offered to step into her shoes. There will be more historical epics, but there’s only one _Star Force_.”

Gold smiled. Whatever misgivings that he might have had about the film and his ability to act in it were now well and truly quelled knowing that Mal was on board. They stayed chatting for a few minutes until other people began to realise that Mal had arrived unexpectedly and came over to say hello. Soon enough, though, Leo and Aurelius were shepherding everyone to sit down at the table, handing out name cards. Leo took his place at the head of the table.

“Welcome, everyone. Some of you may know each other, some of you definitely know each other.” Here he turned pointedly to Gold and Belle. “Some of you may not know each other, but hopefully by the time we leave here, you’ll all know each other’s characters. So, without further ado, I vote that we start!”

The motion was met with universal agreement and the rustling of pages, and for the first time since receiving the proposition from Jafar, Gold began to feel confident that this project was definitely going to be a good idea.

X

“We need to celebrate our reunion,” Henry said. The cast and crew members who had worked on the TV series had all hung back by mutual agreement after the reading had finished, and various ideas for the evening were being mooted. “We need to toast to the old crowd getting back together and starting a new journey. Rabbit Hole?” he suggested eagerly.

Emma gave him a pointed look. “Henry, we are not going to the Rabbit Hole.”

“Why not!” Henry protested. “I’m twenty-one now! I’m legal!”

“You are, but your sister is not,” Graham pointed out, balancing Aoife on his hip. “You’re getting too big for this, you know,” he said to his daughter, who just smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, watching the others through sleepy eyes.

“Granny’s, then?” Henry said desperately.

“Granny’s sounds like a good idea,” Belle said. “Aoife can always take a nap in one of the booths.”

“I’m not sure, I think Granny might take one look at all of us coming in, close up and move in with Ruby and Archie in LA to get away from us all,” David said.

“Oh, believe me, nothing can faze Granny,” Mal said. “This is the woman whose diner hosted Belle and Gold’s wedding reception, remember. If she can deal with us all plastered then, she can deal with us all marginally less plastered now. We are five years older and wiser, after all.”

“Well, I think wiser’s an objective term,” Mary Margaret pointed out. “But yes, Granny’s is good. I’ve missed her burgers so much…” she added wistfully.

A few minutes later found them all reconvening at Granny’s; the woman herself was overjoyed to see them all again and was more than happy to accommodate them by pushing tables together, much to the amusement of the other patrons. Being as it was the most popular eatery in Storybrooke; it was not unusual for customers to see famous faces in there, but quite so many together was a slightly rarer occurrence. Sure enough, before drinks and food were served, there were some opportunistic people abandoning their own lasagne and milkshakes to seek out autographs and selfies. Gold took it all in his stride, finding Belle’s hand under the table and squeezing gently. True, he was older and wiser as Mal had said, but they all were, and the fact that they could all remain such good friends and fall seamlessly back into the easy camaraderie that they had shared throughout the series was a testament of a very successful production to come.

“Still having doubts?” Belle asked.

Gold shook his head and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.

“Never.”

 

 


End file.
